Prince Elrado also lifted his hood, revealing his Elven features. With a handsome face and noble temperament, his eyes held the distinct pride of Elf royalty.
"Lady Karol... the North is bitterly cold. Although I am a prince of the Elves, I too have suffered greatly. Life here is far better than that of my Snow Elf kin. I truly envy your Human race for possessing the world’s most fertile lands. I can also understand why the Orcs always want to move southward."
The secret meeting had just begun, and Prince Elrado immediately took the offensive. He knew that the Barbaric Orcs were a significant problem for the Silvermane Principality, and now the Orc forces were already threatening Storm City. The Principality aimed to snatch chestnuts from the fire, hoping to preserve Storm City while also seizing military authority from Marquis Anderson. To do this, they had to rely on the cooperation of the Snow Elves. If he didn’t seize this opportunity to gain sufficient advantages, it would be a disservice to the great risk he’d taken by coming to Nuta City.
Lady Karol, of course, understood what the Elf prince implied. The Elves would undoubtedly ask for the moon, gleefully intending to fleece the Silvermane Principality.
"Yes, the Orcs have always wanted to move south to invade our lands. But we have been fighting them for so many years, and they have not gained any lasting advantage. On the contrary, it’s you Snow Elves who have had quite a bit of your land snatched away by them, haven’t you?"
The Orcs are prolific breeders, especially the Big-eared monsters, who reproduce in litters. They are considered adults by the age of three or four. Orc Lords might choose not to recruit Big-eared monsters from their territory’s recruitment buildings, but they cannot control the breeding of Big-eared monsters within their lands. A population explosion inevitably leads to a food crisis. With nothing to eat, they can only resort to raiding. This conveniently helps manage their own population and reduce the numbers in neighboring lands. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on novel(ꜰ)ire.net
The Human race occupies fertile lands and is wealthy enough to construct towering city walls. The Orcs can only gain minor advantages in their wars against the Human race and cannot seize their land. But the northern Elves lead a harsh existence. Their population is sparse, and they lack the wealth to construct significant defensive fortifications. Consequently, their border with the Orcs has become very blurred. In summer, Orcs head north to seize Elf lands. In winter, the Elves use the climate to their advantage and reclaim it. As winter yields fewer resources than summer, the Elves are at a significant disadvantage. They were helpless.
Lady Karol brought up the long-standing feud between Orcs and Elves, attempting to portray a common enemy for the Human race and Elves. Her aim was to break the current Orc-Elf alliance and sway the Elves to her side.
Prince Elrado chuckled. "The winter cold is a natural bulwark for the Snow Elves; the Orcs cannot possibly penetrate too deeply into the North. The threat Orcs pose to the Elves is far less than the threat they pose to your Human race. Moreover, the Orc army is on the verge of attacking Storm City. Lady Karol... I know why you invited us to Nuta City. I want to tell you just one thing: the blood our Elves have shed on the Wildwind Highlands cannot be in vain—neither the blood being shed now nor that shed in the past."
The Elves were indicating their willingness to betray the Orcs, provided the price was right. Now, the real negotiations began.
Lady Karol retrieved a document from her personal storage space. After handing it to Prince Elrado, she said, "Duke Silvermane has prepared a gift for our friends from the North. It includes gold, cloth, grain, alchemical resources, and herbs... to help you endure this harsh winter. It also includes two hundred thousand sets of finished cotton clothing and quilts..."
Just then, Lady Karol’s attendant brought in a box, placing samples of the cotton clothing and quilts on the negotiation table. These were the samples of clothing and quilts Yan Xing had promised to Lady Karol.
Initially, Prince Elrado was unimpressed by the mention of the gift. However, upon seeing the cotton clothing and quilts on the table, he was visibly stunned. He picked up the garments and quilts, examining them closely, his forehead beading with sweat.
Lady Karol maintained her smile, reminiscing. When she first saw this batch of clothing and quilts, her own reaction hadn’t been much different from the Elf prince’s current one.